Tyler Naquin recalled to replace suspended Marlon Byrd; Shawn Armstrong optioned

In light of Marlon Byrd's 162-game suspension for PED use, the Cleveland Indians have recalled Tyler Naquin from Triple-A to take his place on the 25-man roster. This will be Naquin's third trip to the majors this season.

In 27 games for the Tribe this season, Naquin is slashing .317/.338/.413. The issue with Naquin has been his approach at the plate, which has resulted in 21 strikeouts to just two walks. His defense has also not been spectacular, at least not on the level for the Indians to trust him in center field every day over Raji Davis.

The last Naquin was optioned it was to keep Michael Martinez on the roster, presumably because he could also serve in an infield utility role. Now, with the outfield all but decimated, Naquin may be getting some playing time in the corner outfield spots if a need suddenly arises. Otherwise, he will mostly serve as a backup for Rajai Davis.

In other weird roster news, Shawn Armstrong was optioned just a day after making his 2016 MLB debut yesterday. He allowed one run in that appearance.

Armstrong has appeared in 16 innings for the Columbus Clippers this season, striking out a whopping 30 batters but also walking 17 in the process. He is being replaced on the 25-man roster by Tom Gorzelanny, a lefty reliever whom the Indians signed to a minor league deal prior to this season. Gorzelanny currently has a 3.38 ERA with the Columbus Clippers. The last time he played for a major-league team was with the Detroit Tigers in 2015, when he had a 5.95 ERA in 48 appearances.

Gorzelanny being promoted gives the Indians a left-handed reliever, something they have not had since Kyle Crockett was optioned late last month. So it makes sense from that perspective, but I question the decision to option Armstrong over someone like Austin Adams or even Mike Clevinger, who is obviously getting sent down when Carlos Carrasco returns from the disabled list on Thursday.